Places to Visit/Things to Do
Most cities have a story behind them or their name. In many cases, they are named after a location or person. Montreal, Quebec, is named after a 761-foot hill, Mont-Royal. Many come to this hill for jogging, picnics, and much more at its Parc du Mont-Royal (Mount Royal Park). If you get a chance to visit during the warmer months, you can rent boats to row across the Mount Royal Park’s Beaver Lake. Parc due Mont-Royal is free for public merriment from the rising of the sun to its setting. While entrance to the park is free, on-site amenities cost money, such as the ceveral eateries and gift shop located within the park. You can find out about more activities and amenities on Mount Royal’s website.
Every city has its beautiful retreats into nature. Lucky for you, Montreal has plenty, with Montreal Botanical Gardens being one of the more popular ones. The 190-acre botanical gardens features 10 large greenhouses with a specific theme for each. The gardens house thousands of species of plant life, over 20,000 to be more exact. Other than more common Japanese gardens and other heritage gardens, Montreal’s Botanical Gardens feature a toxic plant garden, popular among the kids. The gardens also feature an insectarium, which is one of the largest insect museums on the continent. They feature over 250,000 insects in their museum. The gardens and the insectarium are open daily from 9 am to about 6 or 7 pm. Admission for adults costs about $15.50, and admission for kids aged 5 to 17 costs about $8.
Who doesn’t like beautiful art? Gaze at and admire fascinating works from a variety of famous artists like Rembrandt, Renoir, and more at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Aside from works of art, the museum features World War I and II artifacts, a collection of 18th century English porcelain. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is open from Tuesday through Sunday from 10 in the morning to 5 in the evening. On Wednesday, extended hours are offered, with the museum closing only at 9 pm. Admission for adults 31 years and older costs about $17 and about $11 for visitors aged 13 to 30. This price includes admission to most major exhibitions, but some temporary exhibits charge an additional fee. For special and temporary exhibits, adults aged 31+ are usually charged around $12.
The Notre-Dame Basilica is a massive church designed by James O’Donnell in 1824. The basilica was constructed in the Gothic Revival style; it features beautiful and intricate statues, stained glass, embellishments, and so much more. While you certainly can learn a lot by exploring by yourself, you can learn a lot more if you take one of the basilica’s guided tours. Tours generally last about 20 minutes. The Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal is open from 8 am to 4:30 pm on the weekdays, from 8 am to 4 pm on Saturday, and from 12:30 pm to 4 pm on Sundays. Admission into the attraction costs about $4.50 for adults and about $3 for kids aged 7 to 17. For kids under 7, admission is free. Guided tours are included in the price of admission, but more in-depth tours are offered for additional costs.
It’s always best to start learning about a city from its history. Learn about Montreal’s founding and past at the Museum of Archaeology and History. If you head underground in the facility, you can learn about the city’s original settlement and development of the city to the present day. Aside from exhibits featuring archaeological finds and historical backgrounds, the museum is the host of several festivals and events during the summer. The museum is open Monday to Friday from 10 in the morning to 6 in the evening. On Saturday and Sunday, the museum opens at 11 am and closes at 6 pm. Admission for adults cost around $16.50, $11 for students aged 18 to 30, around $10 for teens under 18, and $6 for kids aged 5 to 12. Those younger than 5 enter for free.
Best Way to Tour Montreal
The best way to tour the city of Montreal (as well as many other cities) is by chartered buses and vans. Explore at your own pace within the safety of your private vehicle. Don’t worry about ordering an Uber or Lyft when you have your own exploration vehicle. Through Prompt Bus Charters, you can order the buses you need. Prompt Bus Charters is an amazing, affordable chartered vehicle company that caters to your every needs. Whether you need a bus for school trips, marriages, parties, campaigns, or whatever else, Prompt Bus Charters can help you. Prompt Bus Charters offers buses, mini buses, school buses, party buses, and more. Most activities and destinations listed above and below are accessible by chartered buses. Visit www.prompbustcharters.com to book your rental bus today!
Best Places to Eat/Shop
- Place Ville Marie – The Place Ville Marie is a large shopping complex located in downtown Montreal. The mall features over 80 shops, stores, boutiques, and plenty of places to grab a bite.
- Place Montreal Trust –The Place Montreal Trust is another great place to shop. The Place Montreal Trust is a huge five-story shopping mall featuring plenty of stores, services, and dining options.
- Complexe Desjardins –The Complexe Desjardins is an indoor shopping complex that features a variety of apparel stores, home décor stores, a food court with plenty of quick bits, and a grocery store.
- Le Centre Eaton de Montreal –The Le Centre Eaton de Montreal is a large mall that is home to several well-known stores that carry apparel, accessories, and electronics. They also have plenty of eateries.
- Restaurant Tandem –Restaurant Tandem is a popular sit-down restaurant in Montreal. The French-inspired restaurant features a variety of dishes, with many vegetarian and vegan options. The Restaurant Tandem is rated the #1 fine-dining restaurant in Montreal by tripadvisor in 2018.
- Bistro 1843 –Bistro 1843 is a restaurant in Montreal that features local ingredients in their dishes. The French restaurant features a multitude of dishes, including gluten free options. Bistro 1843 is rated the #1 local cuisine restaurant in Montreal by tripadvisor in 2018.
Have fun in Montreal!